Need help with panhard rod bushing change.

YerDugliness · #1 (**permalink**) 07-06-2012, 07:34 AM

The rear suspension on my replica is parallel 4-bar with a panhard rod. The panhard rod attaches to the frame on the driver's side where the frame arches over the live axle and mounts into a bracket about 4 inches behind the point where the top of the coilover mounts to the frame. The other end of the rod attaches to a bracket on the passenger's side of the differential, at a point roughly above the area where the center section narrows down and becomes axle tubes.

My problem is that both of the brackets have "eyebrows" over the top of the rod end that will prevent getting the rod end out of their respective brackets...there is room on the bracket welded to the differential to "drop" that end of the rod and gain some maneuvering room, but if it is not enough, I'm baffled.

Does the rear suspension need to be loosened so the differential can move slightly to the passenger's side?

I need to replace the bushings in the rod ends, think I might have the right parts in stock, just need to get that damn rod off.

...one more thing...the coilovers are not disconnected, the car is jacked up and supported at the frame by jackstands and the tires are off the ground by about 2". When I remove that panhard rod, the live axle will remain in place, or is it going to drop...or move to one side or the other?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, folks.

Thanks in advance for whatever info you can provide...

Cheers!

Dugly

YerDugliness · #2 (**permalink**) 07-06-2012, 10:05 AM

Well, folks, I have answers.

The live axle does indeed remain in place with the panhard rod removed.

The rear 4-bar suspension DID have to be loosened in order to get enough slack to remove the panhard rod...I just loosened the nuts, did not remove the bolts. All I needed was about 1/4".

Sadly, the panhard rod takes different bushings than the bars....oh, well, it's only time!

I will remove the front bars, too, so that I can replace all the bushings at the same time....did all the rear suspension bars except for the panhard rod, will get the panhard rod and both front bars, too....

Onward: through the fog!

Cheers!

Dugly

mickmate · #3 (**permalink**) 07-06-2012, 04:42 PM

Energy Suspension Parts - Universal Link - Flange Type Bushings Information

YerDugliness · #4 (**permalink**) 07-13-2012, 08:40 AM

Thanks, Mickmate. I buy mine here, looks like I get Energy Suspension bushings when I do so. I have been very pleased with their price, their service, and the quality of their products.

http://www.suspension.com/

I just finished the job an hour ago...getting the panhard rod back in was a real bummer, had to unbolt the upper rear bars so the diff would tilt adequately to keep the rod from being in a bind. It is all back together now and feels VERY solid. One of the front bar ends had NO bushing in it, and the sleeve had been rattling around in the bar end enough that the sleeve was a bit buggered up. Thank goodness the parts come with new sleeves!

I like the greasable ones, would have to have zerks installed on my bar ends. I have not had any problems with the Energy Suspension's graphite impregnated bushings squeaking, though, so....maybe I don't need the greasble kind. Suspension.com says to lube liberally with anti-sieze compound, which I do, and when I took the rear bar loose there was no binding, everything seemed to be quite tight but lubed well.

[EDIT--Sorry, Mickmate, I didn't look at the pics well enough. Now I see that the zerks protrude from the face of the head of the bolts and that there is a small hole in the shank of the bolt through which the grease exits to lube the bolt in the sleeve. If I have troubles with the ones I have, I'll consider those! Thanks, again!]

Cheers!

Dugly